Floating on a Dream
by astinmin
Summary: The fourth world war has been won, everything seems to be fallen or falling apart. People seem to have no want to do with the war and a bitter disgust on anything relative to the war. Years after the great war, Itachi wakes up. He soon finds this out. AFTER FOURTH WORLD WAR (I cannot guarantee accuracy)
1. Chapter 1

_Sasuke, you've truly been the only thing right in my life. Yet I still screwed up. I regret it more than you could ever imagine. I wish I thought about it more… I wish I told you before it came to this… I just have regrets. This is all I can do for you…_

"_I always lied to you, telling you to forgive me. I always kept you far away, with my own hands… I didn't want to involve you…" I began to reach out my peeling apart hand._

"_But now I think… that maybe you would have been able to change our father, mother, the Uchiha…" my hand came closer to him as he stared at my peeling away body in shock. Maybe even fear? Sadness? _

"_If I had faced you from the start… tried to see things from your point of view," if only… "And talked with you about the truth…" I'm a failure, Sasuke. An absolute failure._

"_But I failed, and no matter what I say now, it will never reach you." My fingers neared his forehead. I've been a terrible brother. I never did anything good for you._

"_So that is why I will finally say what I really think." I grabbed the back of his head as I kept my head on his shoulder I said, "You never have to forgive what I've done…" I pulled my head up so we were forehead to forehead and I smiled and he stared at me… wordless and frozen in time not even realizing what was happening._

"_No matter what you decide to do from this point on, I will love you forever." You never have to forgive me, Sasuke. My time is finally done. My body completely broke like shards of glass. I feel… free… good… as my body disappeared into the atmosphere I watched as he stood there… frozen._

**Around Six Years Later…**

_I walked along an old river that I once walked when everything was safe. Everything was okay. Okay but corrupt. The old river Shisui and I walked together. Always talking and training. The water was always so clear and you could see the koi swimming along and the algae on all the rocks. The three inch long grass and the pebble path leading you along side the river. The shrubs and flowers. The trees. I could see it all, once again, my vision was finally perfect again. I looked into the atmosphere that only had a few clouds and I closed my eyes as the wind blowed through my hair and clothes. I took a deep breath and the smell of fresh and pure came pouring in my lungs. This must be paradise. I relaxed for the first time in awhile. Then I heard footsteps and I tilted my head towards the sound._

"_Itachi, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" he asked with a bright smile as he stepped forward. He still looked only fourteen… well I wouldn't expect more. As he stepped closer I was finally taller than my dear old friend._

"_Yeah," I smiled at my dear old friend, "I can finally now join you." Shisui stared at me and shook his head._

"_What? What's wrong?" I asked confused._

"_No, Itachi. Now is not the time," he looked down kicking a pebble into the river, "You still have more to do." He looked back up with a half smile._

"_I've already died twice. What more is there to do?"_

"_I don't know. Why don't you ask when you wake up?" wake up? Wake up! _

"_I will have to say good bye now. Maybe another time, Itachi?"_

Beep… _what?_ Beep.. _what_ _is hap-? _Beep… -_pening?_ _My body…_ Beep. _I can't…_ Beep. _Move._ Beep. I slowly began to open my heavy eyelids. The room was blinding bright and everything would no come into focus. I drifted mine eyes to my left and a blurred blue color completed with a yellow circle and a white outline was all I could make out. My eyes looked to the other side and I saw a blob of pastel pink and white. The nurse turned towards me and walked a few steps forward. I could slightly make out her face.

"Uchiha Itachi, welcome back. Don't worry, we know." I stared at the nurse. _Welcome back?_

"Why am I here?" I managed to say getting straight to the point.

"It was requested by the rokudaime to keep this classified for now." She said straight forwardly.

"Sasuke?" I asked.

She took a moment to pause, "he is currently on a mission. We did not know when you would wake up so I told him to go. Your vision must be extremely blurry?"

"Hn." I saw her blurry face move up and down and she moved closer to me and placed her cool fingers on my temples. I could see perfectly and I look up into her face. Hair parted in the middle, green eyes, and pale skin. Unmistakeably my brother's friend. _How many years has it been?_ She appeared to be in her early to mid twenties now.

"Your vision will take awhile to heal, we must take it little at a time." She pulled away her cool fingers and my vision started to blur some again. She started to walk away to her clipboard.

"How long has it been since the war?" I asked. She paused and she turned around and she said nothing for a moment. A slight look of disgust of the topic of war crossed her face.

"It has been around five to six years since that _war_," she said with a bitterness, "Many people died, it has devastated everyone. The rokudaime has been doing his best to keep everything safe here."

"Who is the rokudaime?" I wondered out loud.

"Uzumaki Naruto, of course. He was a major hero in the war along with Sasuke." I felt a smile form on my lips and the curious gaze of the nurse. She then turned to continue writing on her clipboard.

"Sasuke at first wanted to be a hokage, but Naruto was more favorited. Sasuke even said Naruto should be the rokudaime. Sasuke still got a big role. After what he had done in the war, people were more accepting of him." _Just as I hoped so._

I stared at her back as she wrote, "When shall Sasuke arrive?"

She paused once more, "In a week. You will get to see as soon as it's time. I will be leaving you now, I will be back tonight." She proceeded to walk out the door and she closed it softly. I relaxed back on the feather pillow. I stared at the ceiling trying to make out the shapes even though my vision was obliviously too blurry. My smile wasn't fading.

I had not noticed I had fallen asleep until I heard a knock on the door and then it cracked open. A tall blonde man with blue eyes; I almost mistaked his as Minato.

"Hello Itachi," he said softly and sat in the chair besides me.

"Sakura did a good job fixing you up, huh? I bet Sasuke would be happy to see you."

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"Sasuke wanted it. He told me you deserve to live and I do agree. The village knows of your story. There is no need to pretend."

"I see."

"Maybe we can see him sometime. You, me, Sakura. I know you don't know Sakura well, but she has spent nights without sleep saving your ass." He laughed softly, "You better show those people that it was worth taking away the top nurse in Konoha away for awhile. We don't have many nurses left anymore. Or any ninjas and others. The war caused a lot of problems." he continued to ramble on.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a badge. He handed it to me.

"Here is your well deserved badge, Leader of the ANBU." He placed it in my hand. I closed it within my hand I open my palm to look at the blurred silver metal. I rubbed my finger over feeling the engraving of the words "AMBU" and the decorative lines.

"I will arrange for your own home. Everything had been destroyed when there was the fight with Pain. Good thing the other war didn't ruin the village too, huh?"

"Granny never got to finish it, so I've been doing my best to fix it. I already have enough houses for everyone and of course the ramen shop. I even had a proper grave for you, I guess we don't need that anymore. I must be boring for blabbering on. I will have to leave you now; I have things to take care of."

"Hn." I said unsure on how to say goodbye.

Sakura came in with a tray with steaming soup. She sat next to me and placed the tray on the table.

"It will be hard to move for about a few more days. The stronger, the longer it takes to heal. That's what my grandmother always said…" she scooped some soup with the spoon and she carefully blowed on it. She held it up to my lips and I parted them to let the warm tomato soup go into my mouth. I stared at her as she continued.

"I was really shocked when I heard the truth. I was so used to you being this bad guy Sasuke always went after." She said as she tucked some of hair behind her ear. She paused and stared at me for a moment, "I guess anything is possible… we some how managed to win the war…" her voice nearly monotone. She stared back down into the soup watching the steam slowly come up.

**Author's Note: **Let me know if you find it interesting, questions, have some improvements, or extra ideas I can incorporate into the fanfiction

-Astinmin


	2. Chapter 2

It has been around three days since I've woken up. The last two days seem to pass with the same routine. Sakura would come in, check on me, and heal me somewhat, and every now and then I would have soup. The rokudaime visits every now and then, always rambling on about things. Sakura had mentioned that I would soon be able to walk and my vision will be cleared up in another week. _When Sasuke will be back?_

"Today is the day to begin to walk," she said as she strolled in with a second nurse.

"I am Ino Yamanaka, pleased to meet you, Mr. Uchiha." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you also" Sakura held her hand out and I grabbed it and sat up.

"One footstep at a time, okay?" Sakura told me as she began to pull me near the edge of the bed.

"Hn." I agreed not knowing exactly what to say.

"Ino, help his other side," Sakura instructed and Ino followed as so. Sakura pulled my legs to the side of the bed and I winced at the soreness.

"Okay, One… two… three!" I was pulled to be standing up. My legs felt extremely weak but it was tolerable. The floor was chilly under my bare feet and smooth. They held on to my arms and I took my first step. Ino used her foot to slide over slippers near me. I pushed my feet into them. I took another step. And another. More steps.

"This is great, you are recovering faster." Sakura said as she nodded towards Ino to let me go. It was slightly harder now and I was now in the hallway. But I have to keep going. I kept walking and I did not even realize she had let me go as if I was a toddler trying to learn to walk until I fell. _Fuck. _The two nurses came running to my side but I refused the help by pushing them away. I pushed myself off the ground and stood up and I began to stumble forward some more.

"Mr. Uchiha, I can't allow you to hurt yourself like this." Sakura said as she walked up next me and reached out her hand. I glared at her hand and then looked forward.

"I'm fine." I said. She stared back at Ino and they exchanged a few 'what are we suppose to do?' looks.

"Fine, you have five more minutes then you have to return to your room." Ino declared and I agreed.

Sakura was working on my legs… which were a bit sore from walking. She finished and began to work on my eyes. They have improved by far and I soon will be able to see well.

"Sasuke is getting back tomorrow morning, we should go see him." I smiled at those words.

"Of course."

"Naruto will be coming with us. It will be your first time seeing the new Konoha too, huh?"

"Hn." She removed her fingers from my temples.

"Get some good sleep, I will meet you tomorrow." She got up and turned away leaving a slight drift of wind. She turned towards me once more, "Goodbye." And then open the door and closed it behind her.

The rokudaime and Sakura were in my room when I woke up. There was a slightly nervous aura around the two.

"I have a cane for you so you can walk much easier." she showed me a dark cane.

Naruto handed me some obviously Sasuke's clothes to wear. They left me to change. I slipped on the black mesh shirt and then the Uchiha shirt. I struggled with pulling on the pants but I managed by leaning against a wall. I opened the door and held on to the cane, like an old man.

They began to lead me out of the hospital. Outside, there were no little shops that there once had been. Some trees freshly planted, dirt road, and water in the distance. The only the only thing I could recognize was the hokages's faces in the mountain. We began to walk down the street. Past a few houses and into a field and then there was the graveyard. We began to near grave stones. _No. _they didn't dare to look at me. _NO._ They stopped in front of one. Not saying a thing. _NO… NO! _I felt my cane slip out of my hand and hit the hard rock on the ground and I fell to my knees staring at the stone. _Uchiha Sasuke. A Great War hero, man, brother, and father. Why Sasuke, WHY!_

"We… couldn't stop him…" Naruto whispered with his voice cracking.

"Not even his wife could." Sakura said as she buried her face into her hands. I stared into the ground and tears began to blur my vision. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and I turned to look behind me, Naruto sadly smiled with tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry we lied to you, but I believe you can understand why…" he began, "Sasuke wanted you to live, so please respect that." _Sasuke, it was your turn to live, not mine, I don't deserve any of it._ I grabbed my cane and pulled myself up. I rubbed my hand under my eyes and took a deep breath.

"How did he die?" I asked.

"I will explain later… Sasuke left you a letter and his journal." Sakura replied, pulling her hands away from her face. _I don't understand… _We walked back to the hospital in complete silence. No one dared to catch a glimpse of me and continued to stare into the tan sidewalk. I didn't say a word to them and I sat down. Sakura handed me a note.

_Itachi,_

_I know you must be disappointed and upset with me for what I have done. I know you wished that I had lived. But after the war, I have tried. I tried and tried. The war has stained everyone's lives with a nasty scar that will never go away. Many people had died in the war and people left unable to move, and we are monster, we left them to die. I am married and I have a kid, which I do regret leaving, but I can't take this any more. I am a terrible husband and father for doing this. My wife wishes I do not but she will not stop me, because she too shares the guilt of the ninjas. The guilt will never vanish from my life as the same with many. Life is different, only the children, if any, are the lively ones if they never experienced the war. The villages are not separate anymore for the most part. Many people lost the will to fight anymore besides maybe our Hokage. _

_I am sure you are confused about how you are here. About a year ago, a jutsu was improved so that it was usable to many people. This jutsu transfers the life. I gave my life to you. You who deserve it more than I do. You who still can have the will to fight. You who would still do anything for your village even after everything. I hope that you will read my journal and choose to not transfer my life back. I don't want it back. Take this as my forgiveness and I will always love you, too._

_Sasuke Uchiha_

I stared at the paper in disbelief and then stared at Sakura for an explanation.

"If you would like we can meet his child and wife tomorrow. His kid is very young; she still doesn't know what she shall tell him in the future."

"Why didn't you stop him?" I halfway asked and halfway demanded.

She looked back at me, her lips twitch slightly, and "There is nothing I could do."

"What do you mean?"

"He talked on and on about it. We tried, we begged, but we all know how he feels we couldn't tell him to live like this." She said flatly. I did not say no more. She got up from her seat and went and got a black journal. She sat down next to me once more. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she looked down into her lap at the journal. She lifted it up and looked at me, "This is Sasuke's first journal. He has a few more that you may read if you wish." She put it in my hands, she got up, she placed her practically-frozen fingers onto my temples, and my vision cleared. I watched her as she stood there letting her chakra flood from herself to me. She released her fingers after a minute and sat back down in the chair.

"That will give you some time to read the journal. I shall leave you for now." She slowly rose from her seat and then grabbed her clipboard before leaving the room, quietly closing the door. I looked down at the journal, wondering if I should dare to open it as I heard the clock slowly tick. I slowly began to open the journal.

**Author's Note: **The next chapter will begin in Sasuke's point of view, just a head up. I do have lots of school work, so hopefully I can update just every Friday.

-Astinmin


	3. Chapter 3

I slowly pushed up using my arms and began to violently cough up blood as I tried to get this gas out of my throat. My hand grabbed my throat, this gas would not disappear. I looked up as my vision was blurring I could see the destroyed land and limp bodies. I look to my side and Naruto laid there looking up into the sky. Blood and dirt splattered all over his skin and with great amounts of cuts and bruises.

"Sasuke, it looks like we did it, huh?" he said slurring his words but with confidence.

"Yeah…" Naruto turned to his side and violently coughed. He then looked back at me and pulled himself up.

"We need to help the others…" he said as he reached out his hand to pull me up. There was a sharp pain in my left arm and I glanced at the long bloody lesion. A few people began to get up but nearly over half of the ninjas staid on the ground moaning or completely silent. Sakura slowly began to walk towards us with a half smile as she was holding on to her arm and stumbling as she walked. She then looked around and the smile quickly faded.

"INO!" she began to run past us. I watched as she dropped to her knees and frantically began to use what she had left on her best friend. Naruto looked at me and began to walk towards them. I followed. _What was there left now? Was this worth it? All the deaths? I _coughed some more. I heard thanks of god and tears as the two girls hugged each other.

"We need to count the deaths…" I said.

"Yes, they need to be remembered…" Naruto nodded. Sakura pulled out a small book. We looked around us. We only could do so much. The people who could walk we saved. Those who could not we had to leave to just die. Die a slow death in a toxic destroyed land. _If I wasn't stupid, if I understood my brother, if I just was here I could have saved more lives. Not everyone had to die. _

We came across Tsunade who has grown old.

"I've lived through three world wars… I think I'm old enough to leave now… I can join Jiriya and Orichimaru now, huh?" she said to Sakura as she began to cry.

"Don't cry, you have to take my place as leading medical ninja. Promise me to never give up. Promise me not to cry all the time. Tell shizune if she is still alive."

"I will." Tsunade smiled and let go of her hand and stared into the sky. Naruto placed his arms upon her shoulders.

"We can burry her…"

Those who lived buried many of their loved and close ones. Hinata insisted on burring Neji by herself. I was extremely shocked that even he had died. Ino insisted on bringing Shikamaru even with all his protest to just let him die but Choji managed to help somehow. I guessed that there was 13,000 of us out of the original 80,000 ninjas.

I stared down at all the moaning bodies begging for help. A few medical ninjas would try to help them but it was useless. They would soon die and there was nothing at all we could do. If we stopped we would join them.

"Naruto, what about the bijuu?" I asked.

"… it will have to wait until later. They wont hurt anything at this point… we need to know what everyone wants…" he kept pausing as he winged it.

_Two weeks later…_

We had finally reached Konoha last week. It was still constructing, the blast had shook it somewhat. Some will head to Kumogakure after we are all healed and prepared. The world is distorted and out of place. We can no longer be so separate. The best choices for everyone are either the land of fire or lighting. It will be good for the economy as Shikamaru says. The bijuu have agreed to have a jinchuuriki. They asked if I wished to become one, I said no… Gaara has taken the one tailed beast once again. The mizukage and raikage have taken two others. The means four more left to go. A few other people refused to take one… Sakura refused, Shikamaru preferred not, and many others. Kakashi isn't well enough for one at the moment but I doubt he would also want it. Although, a villager has accepted one, I've heard she is an interesting girl.

"Sasuke, would you like to go eat?" Sakura smiled softy as she bent over to ask me as I sat against a tree.

"Sure." She reached out her hand but I just pulled myself of the ground; she just dropped her hand. I took one last look at memorial stone. Where I had sat and stared at my brother's name freshly carved into the stone then I turned to walk with Sakura. We began to walk into the town. The villagers have begun painting and planting. The businesses started to slowly come back and of course, the ramen shop. The smell of ramen slowly drifted into my nose as I came inside the shop. I smiled in rememberence of the old days when we were just kids eating at the ramen shop. Our biggest worry was what was under Kakashi's mask. I still had issues, but I know better now. There was no war; everything was still the way it once was. It was the first day Shikamaru got out of the hospital. I congratulated Shikamaru as I shook his hand. I sat on the bar stool and asked for a bowl of ramen. I stared off into space as I watched the food sizzle in the pan and the steam slowly rises. I listen to the sound of people clapping and cheering. But it started to fade out.

"Sasuke," a voice says, "Are you going to eat that?" I blinked my eyes and looked down at the bowl of ramen in front of me. Then I looked to my side and Naruto was staring hungrily at the bowl.

"Uh, sure go ahead." I nudged the bowl towards him and he took it and began to scarf it down.

"I'm going to head home, I'm not feeling well." I told Naruto. He shook his head and said goodbye in between him eating the ramen. I got up and said goodbye to Shikamaru. He nodded and stared at me as if he knew something was up. I left the shop and I felt someone follow me. I paused and turned my head. Sakura was catching up to me.

"Are you not feeling well?" she asked as pushed hair behind her ears.

"Yeah."

"I'll walk you home, then." I didn't say anything and we began to walk towards my apartment. I stared up at the sky, there were no stars… maybe from the blast had something to do with it…

We got towards my apartment door and Sakura smiled and began to lean in close. I placed my hand on her shoulders and held her back. She stopped and looked up at me, shocked.

"What's wrong?" she questioned.

"Sakura, don't. We aren't meant to be this way." I said sharply watching as her face faced more to the ground.

"I've waited so long for you, Sasuke." She said as she stepped back.

"I know, but I would rather be good friends with you for the rest of my life than screw around in something so pointless."

"I understand…" she began to walk away. I looked back and shook my head slightly and put the key into the door. The knob turned and I stepped inside. I threw the keys on the kitchen counter and fell into the couch as I rubbed my eyes, letting out a deep breath. I took a shower before I slipped into bed. It took me quite awhile before I could finally fall to deep sleep.

Sakura's eyes watched me closely as I shut the book and placed it on the table beside me. I looked back and she drifted her eyes away and her face was slightly pink just like her hair.

"So… do you have any questions?" she asked.

"No."

"I will be leaving now, is there anything you need?" she asked as she picked up her clipboard.

"I will be fine." I answered, letting her leave the room.

"Okay, do not move around too much and please do not stress your eyes out. If you go completely blind, we might not be able to fix it." She left the room and closed the door softly. I glanced at the notebook once more before I got up. I pulled on some of the clothes that Sasuke had once worn. After I slipped on some sandals I left the room. The hospital seemed so empty but yet doctors and nurses were running around trying to do their work. No one seemed to question me as I walked out of the hospital. I began walking, I don't know where but somewhere in this village. How did Sasuke see it?

I followed the main road looking at all the shops and homes as I passed them. People did stare but most were too busy trying and trying to get on with their lives. The war still is devastating to all these people even after half a decade… the hope in many had faded long ago and their eyes haven't lighten up in years. I sat on a brown wooden bench that was in this new area I never knew of. Trees surrounded this area and flowers were together neatly distributed. I propped my head up on my hands as my elbows rested on my knees. I looked around some more and I saw a great stone.

_The Memorial Stone_… I got up and walked near it. I found my own name and I traced it with my fingers. I shifted my fingers down some more and there was Sasuke's name.

_Author's Note: It's late because I had to read Great Expectations which is hard to read due to so much description and old English. So sorry, but it is done now and the next chapter may be out by next Friday or maybe it will be Sunday._


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